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Like Water is for Fish: The Power of Story in Our Lives
The Soul City and Soul Buddyz series are memorable for the way in which they integrated health topics into compelling storylines on TV, radio and in print, creating stories so popular that they entertained and informed millions of people. And the Heartlines' 'What's Your Story?' programme and films such as Beyond the River , continue to provide witness to the transformative power of story.
As a young boy, Garth Japhet found his life radically shaped by the Jungle Doctor series of books. The stories so enthralled him that, against all advice, he set his heart on medicine. He could see his future - with a backdrop of savannas, golden sunsets, adventure and accolades - as a romantic figure, a healer, a hero.
This fantasy sustained Garth through the challenges of medical training, but finally he arrived. He was Dr Japhet, living the dream. Except the dream was a nightmare. The reality of medicine was not the life he had hoped for. There were times when he cursed the power of the story that had so completely messed up his life. Having struggled with anxiety most of his life, he was catapulted into a deep depression. And then it happened. Garth stumbled upon the healing power of story - fictional, factual and his own. What magic was at work here? If stories had changed him, could he use story to change others? This question set him on the journey described in Like Water is for Fish ; a journey that led to Garth co-founding Soul City and Heartlines, and to an understanding that story, in its multiple forms, is as essential for our lives as water is for fish.
When you share your story with others and they share theirs with you, barriers break down, hardened attitudes shift, and healing begins.
As a young boy, Garth Japhet found his life radically shaped by the Jungle Doctor series of books. The stories so enthralled him that, against all advice, he set his heart on medicine. He could see his future - with a backdrop of savannas, golden sunsets, adventure and accolades - as a romantic figure, a healer, a hero.
This fantasy sustained Garth through the challenges of medical training, but finally he arrived. He was Dr Japhet, living the dream. Except the dream was a nightmare. The reality of medicine was not the life he had hoped for. There were times when he cursed the power of the story that had so completely messed up his life. Having struggled with anxiety most of his life, he was catapulted into a deep depression. And then it happened. Garth stumbled upon the healing power of story - fictional, factual and his own. What magic was at work here? If stories had changed him, could he use story to change others? This question set him on the journey described in Like Water is for Fish ; a journey that led to Garth co-founding Soul City and Heartlines, and to an understanding that story, in its multiple forms, is as essential for our lives as water is for fish.
When you share your story with others and they share theirs with you, barriers break down, hardened attitudes shift, and healing begins.
248 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 1, 2021
A captivating & compelling read which shares all of the drama & delight of a medical doctor from South Africa whose disillusioned dreams led him to discover his own story. This discovery empowered him to realise the potential & possibility of sharing stories, using carefully crafted human narrative, to educate & enlighten others at scale (using mass media) which has resulted in a powerful values-based legacy for generations to come.
From cats’ eyes to cathedrals, this book vulnerably inspires introspection as it takes you on a personal journey through a significant period of South African history which challenges the reader to consider their own story & the intrinsic value it may hold for others, breaking down barriers & creating connection through sharing perspective.
A great read!
From cats’ eyes to cathedrals, this book vulnerably inspires introspection as it takes you on a personal journey through a significant period of South African history which challenges the reader to consider their own story & the intrinsic value it may hold for others, breaking down barriers & creating connection through sharing perspective.
A great read!
May 18, 2021
From the alluring title to the deeply felt closing line of Like Water is for Fish, the multi-talented Garth Japhet plunges his reader into recollections not only of Japhet’s past, but also the reader’s own. Perhaps inadvertently, he invites us to consider our personal stories as we read his story. The writing, always engaging, evokes vivid images of the complex literal and metaphorical terrain that is South Africa. The author, often using exquisite language, shares moments of deep pain, elation, confusion, enlightenment, desperation, and joy.
Japhet intersperses the telling of his own inspiring story with the stories of about 12 (?) others. A different font and a more pragmatic tone, distinguishes between Garth Japhet’s story and the brief snippets of story from the others. While there is great wisdom in these excerpts the reader longs to get back to the main story because it is so compelling. Both parts of the book underscore the importance of story in our journey towards better understanding ourselves and others. The message is an important one for our time.
But Garth Japhet does so much more than encourage us to move beyond assumption and hear different narratives, he is one of the first to place a lever under the tightly sealed lid of the fear, pain, anguish, and horror of conscription. He has not fully opened the box, but there is now a shard of light spindling in a dark place which needs deep exploration for much healing to begin. Like Water is for Fish is surely going to spread courage for those stories to emerge.
Garth’s honest account of his personal spiritual journey and his ever-present battle with the challenges of depression and anxiety are at once inspirational and illuminating. By Garth putting these issues out in the open bravely and poignantly, he reveals the value of telling our stories. I salute him for his courage. Courage is contagious and the ripple he has created may well be the beginning of the sea swell of change so needed amongst some of those so broken by the wide-reaching effects of conscription that they cannot wrench through the scar tissue that continues to layer itself in many South African psyches.
This is an important book because it heralds a new possibility, a new dawn for truth telling and a possible step towards national healing.
Japhet intersperses the telling of his own inspiring story with the stories of about 12 (?) others. A different font and a more pragmatic tone, distinguishes between Garth Japhet’s story and the brief snippets of story from the others. While there is great wisdom in these excerpts the reader longs to get back to the main story because it is so compelling. Both parts of the book underscore the importance of story in our journey towards better understanding ourselves and others. The message is an important one for our time.
But Garth Japhet does so much more than encourage us to move beyond assumption and hear different narratives, he is one of the first to place a lever under the tightly sealed lid of the fear, pain, anguish, and horror of conscription. He has not fully opened the box, but there is now a shard of light spindling in a dark place which needs deep exploration for much healing to begin. Like Water is for Fish is surely going to spread courage for those stories to emerge.
Garth’s honest account of his personal spiritual journey and his ever-present battle with the challenges of depression and anxiety are at once inspirational and illuminating. By Garth putting these issues out in the open bravely and poignantly, he reveals the value of telling our stories. I salute him for his courage. Courage is contagious and the ripple he has created may well be the beginning of the sea swell of change so needed amongst some of those so broken by the wide-reaching effects of conscription that they cannot wrench through the scar tissue that continues to layer itself in many South African psyches.
This is an important book because it heralds a new possibility, a new dawn for truth telling and a possible step towards national healing.
May 31, 2022
I enjoyed reading the various stories that have made up Garth's life, but there were two things that really stood out to me. Garth shares his personal life and illustrates how he has found himself in various stories and how identifying with those characters has pushed him to greater heights. Ever since I read this book, I have realized the truth of this claim. In fact, just days after reading the book, my eyes were drawn to an article in the newspaper on the power of proper branding. For people to buy a product, they need to feel like they are in a story. They must relate on a personal level. It is so simple yet so brilliant - the power of a story can literally transform another person's life. On that note, I personally found myself completely relating with Garth's story in such a way that I am inspired to continue to push to greater heights. By reading his story and knowing the struggles and breakthroughs he has had through the years to get him to the place he is now where he has received accolades and support from some of the biggest names in the world - well it inspires me that when God wants to write our story we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. It reminds me of the scripture that God wants to do exceedingly more than we can think or imagine. We read these verses in the Bible but when we read these testimonies to real people, their stories truly inspire us to believe our story is still in the making. The book will inspire you of the power of a story.
May 25, 2021
It's a rich experience to read this story of a timid overprotected child who overcomes self doubt and goes on to transform his medical career in Johannesburg's Alexandra Township into that of a national/international social entrepreneur.
Much of Dr Garth Japhet's life has pivoted on the knife edge of failure, initially following little more than "cat's eyes" on the dark road of ever-present clinical depression, though latterly, with an immutable spiritual faith.
Today his vision of illustrating social change via inspiring and life-changing stories has reached more than 12 million children and adults via his "Soul City" TV films that have been broadcast across South Africa's TV stations.
His story is a courageous clarion call for people everywhere to reach out to each other through the highest form of communication - that of listening to and honouring each other's stories.
Much of Dr Garth Japhet's life has pivoted on the knife edge of failure, initially following little more than "cat's eyes" on the dark road of ever-present clinical depression, though latterly, with an immutable spiritual faith.
Today his vision of illustrating social change via inspiring and life-changing stories has reached more than 12 million children and adults via his "Soul City" TV films that have been broadcast across South Africa's TV stations.
His story is a courageous clarion call for people everywhere to reach out to each other through the highest form of communication - that of listening to and honouring each other's stories.
April 27, 2021
Garth’s book awakens us to the power of personal stories in the shaping and restoration of our own identities and the acceptance and understanding of others. The book uses Garth’s own life story as a rich backdrop to the primary message - a story that weaves together dramatic events, interesting personalities and personal challenges but told with equal doses of honesty and humour throughout. In a world that is increasingly polarised in so many ways, this book challenges us to see the humanity in each other - a message that needs to be shared and practised far and wide.
January 28, 2022
A fascinating story teller.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews